The Hunger Games
by NightShadesOfBrooklyn
Summary: Betrayal. That's all I felt as I walked up onto the stage. I turned to look at the crowd, expressions of relief and pity stared back at me. I searched the through the faces of district twelve, you promised, I wanted to scream. I wanted to hear her voice as she volunteered to take my place but all I heard was Effie congratulate me.
1. Chapter 1

_Betrayal._

That's all I felt as I walked up onto the stage. I turned to look at the crowd, expressions of relief and pity stared back at me. I searched the through the faces of district twelve, _you promised, _I wanted to scream. I wanted to hear her voice as she volunteered to take my place but all I heard was Effie congratulate me.

"Now, time for the boys." I listened as she unfolded the piece of paper and turned to the assembled district.

"Forrest Miller," Everyone turned to look at the tall scrawny boy. His shaggy black hair framed his face perfectly making it impossible to see any emotion that might be displayed.

I watched as a path was made once more, the peacekeepers half pushing the boy toward the stage.

"Do we have any volunteers?" As usual, the question was answered with silence. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the mayor began to read the treaty of treason as he does every year.

I looked around, no one has won in district twelve so we won't have a mentor, and Effie, the capitols 'fetcher' doesn't seem like a nice replacement to me. I scanned the crowed over and over trying to find my sister. But of course I couldn't find her, she always seemed to disappear when I most needed her.

I turned toward Forrest hopelessly as the mayor finished reading and motioned us to shake hands. Squeezing my hand reassuringly he looked at me, his eyes were cold but oddly comforting.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," Effie chirped excitingly in the capitols accent, as the anthem begun. After the anthem ended peacekeepers ushered us into the Justice Building, once inside they led us to separate rooms.

As soon as they shut the door behind me I ran back over and tried the nob, locked. _I guess others had the same idea. _I sighed and and sunk down to my knees, the door behind me. After about five minuets it opened, the cold air rushed in and sent shivers down my spine.

"Willow?" I heard the regret in her voice.


	2. Chapter 2

I gritted my teeth as she spoke my name. "Willow im sorry I just, I cant leave here." She said as the door shut behind her. I balled my fists and continued to ignore her, ever since I was a child all she did was leave. She left when mom died and no one knew where she had went, after about a month she came back and acted as if nothing happened. I played along every time she had disappeared, like it was a game and she would come back. And the game would always end, but just as soon as it ended another one began.

"And why cant you? You promised me ,and you broke it like every other one!" I shouted the last few words, spinning around I saw that it had hurt her. Satisfaction overwhelmed me and I took another shot at her."I trusted you, and you lied like you always do. Your good at that you know," venom laced my words and tears made there way down my cheeks. I was determined to make her feel as mush pain as I had over the past sixteen years. The pain that she had caused, she had lied and abandoned me time after time. Forcing me to take tesseras for both me and my father because we couldn't afford to buy food. "ITS YOUR FAULT MY NAME WAS IN THERE SO MANY TIMES, YOUR FAULT!" I screamed.

"Im pregnant,"she said, her voice barley audible. I looked at her, tears cascading down her face.

That was it, a thud sounded as my hand connected with her cheek. "Get out," I Growled at her.

She looked at me bewildered, her cheek starting to swell "I SAID GO!" I spun around and waited till the peacekeeper came and escorted her back out.

Finally alone I collapsed into tears. I want to be out there with my father, complaining about how we have to celebrate this awful day and praying for the tributes that were sent into the arena. I want to eat the fresh strawberry's we had picked this morning and sprinkle the little sugar crystals we had traded for two rabbits in the Hob, over them. I want to go to sleep in my bed tonight, not stay in this room dreading tomorrow.

After about ten minuets my father was let into the room. He sat beside me and I fell into his embrace.

"Will you try for me?" He whispered as he grabbed the strawberry's out of a bag he had brought with him. I nodded, not able to find my voice. I sat up and we ate them in silence. When we had finished I hugged him, hugged him longer than I ever hugged someone. He mumbled comforting word but I didn't listen I just hugged him. Finally the peacekeepers led him back out of the room and I was alone once more.

_What was Forrest doing?_ I thought,_ shut up your going to be thrown into a death match with him and twenty two other tributes in a week._ Now is not the time to worry over it this is my last night of peace. But that couldn't stop the rest of my thoughts from taking over.

_Why did she have to lie, even try to explain herself? She wasn't pregnant, _a small part of me started to believe she was. I thought back to yesterday, sitting on the front steps eating the last of a blueberry muffin with her. "What if im chosen," I had asked. She laughed "You wont be I promise, and you know if you are ill volunteer for you." She had smiled at me and then continued, " We made a deal remember?"

I woke up as three peacekeepers came into the room. Panicking I looked around for my dad, only to be reminded of the day before.

"Get up," one of them said hoarsely. As soon as I was to my feet they pushed me out into the hallway. The sudden movement made my head spin and I hadn't even notice the four other men and Forrest waiting for us.

We found our way out of the maze of hallways and into the car that would take us to the train station. Effie babbled on as we sat in the back staring out the windows. I watched as the tress started to thin out and the dirt road turned to rocks.

I risked a glance at Forrest, he looked like he had the day of the reaping, his black hair falling just below his chin and combed forward slightly. He wore what every other boy wore for the 'special' occasion, black pants and a button up shirt.

He looked up and met my gaze, his eyes were the same deep blue and they held the same icy stare. I looked down embarrassed, flattening my now wrinkled dress. I remembered the picture of her sitting on the chest at the end of my dad bed, she wore this same dark green dress.

Right before my first reaping my dad had told me I looked just like her, I remembered looking down into the pail of water I was carrying up to the house from the well and telling myself I didn't. My green eyes were big against my face and I had no meat on my bones, unlike mama who was considered curvy and. I remembered dropping the pail of water and running up to the house, refusing to go to the reaping.

I hadn't changed much, I was still ' Big eyed Willow' and I was still scrawny. The only thing that had changed was my hair, it fell just below my waist and turned from blond to nearly white. My mothers had done the same when she was my age but hers stayed straight. Mine started to curl like my fathers once I turned twelve.

The car rolled to a stop and broke my train of thought. _Here we go,_ I thought as I climbed out of the car.


End file.
